Climate change agreement should be supported by domestic law – Legarda

MANILA, Philippines – Sen. Loren Legarda yesterday said world parliamentarians were correct in their declaration that the post-2012 agreement on climate change should be underpinned by domestic legislation in all countries to be effective.

Legarda, vice chairman of the Philippine delegation to the summit conference, expressed support for a resolution by the GLOBE (Global Legislators’ Organization for a Balanced Environment) International parliamentary community stressing the “critical role” of world parliamentarians in giving flesh to the agreement.

Legarda agreed with the parliamentarians’ resolution that any agreement over climate change in order to be effective, should be made by collective legislation from all countries.

The parliamentarians noted that a post-2012 agreement will not be effective unless it is ratified in the major economies and backed by national legislation while governments are held to account for the commitments and the actions they make.

Legarda said lawmakers from all countries are responsible to make effective agreements to stall climate change.

Legarda earlier addressed the world parliamentarians conference in Copenhagen, appealing for “climate justice” in which developing countries shall be given financial aid by rich countries in combating climate change.

Legarda told the Copenhagen conference that rich countries are responsible for a great part of the carbon emission that causes climate change, while developing countries suffer the most from floods, rising seas and strong typhoons caused by this phenomenon.

Legarda was part of the Philippine delegation to the summit last week that was led by President Arroyo.

Mrs. Arroyo is chairman of the Climate Change Commission, the sole policy-making body that will monitor, evaluate and coordinate climate change programs of the government.

Before the President left for Copenhagen to attend the UN Climate Change Summit, Mrs. Arroyo appointed former senator Heherson Alvarez as her presidential adviser on climate change and global warming.

As vice chairman of the commission, Alvarez will have the rank of Cabinet secretary. He is also appointed as executive director of the Climate Change Commission.

Alvarez has been negotiating in behalf of the Philippine government for the Conference of Parties (COP14) in Poland since last year. He is also busy in monthly negotiations of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), where he is also the head of the Philippine delegation.

The appointment came while Alvarez was in Copenhagen as head negotiator of the Philippine delegation to the COP15 that began on Dec. 7, 2009.

Alvarez said his appointment is in accordance with Republic Act 9729, or the Climate Change Act of 2009.

He said the Climate Change Act is an effort to include climate change in government policy formulation from the national government down to the local government units by establishing a “National Framework Strategy and Program on Climate Change.”

The law also created the Climate Change Commission.

A Filipino member of the Nobel Peace Prize awardee Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), however, said the Philippine government should exert more effort to address climate change issues.

Dr. Rosa Perez of the IPCC said the Philippine government should tap more talented people and organizations.

“We have individuals and organizations who are capable of addressing climate change issues, in the government, private sector and civil society,” Perez said.

She said the biggest challenge for Philippine government “is to be able to put these resources together, admitting that the capability is not limited only to the public sector.” –-Christina Mendez (The Philippine Star) with Katherine Adraneda, Dino Balabo